The Prodigal Son: The Three of Us
by MilkMamaReturns
Summary: Their deepest fears are personified when little 1 1/2 year old Samuel Booth becomes a part of a devious kidnapping scheme. Story set in 2014. "No kiss could replace Samuel...No words could reassure her that their son would return alive."
1. Chapter 1: Have Faith

_The Three of Us_

This story has also been called, _The Prodigal Son._

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Chapter 1  
_(This story is set six years into the future.)_

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Seeley Booth woke up in a cold sweat. He reached over to find that the right side of his bed was empty. He rose to his feet and found Bones in the nursery. Booth never felt so weak and helpless in his entire life. There was simply nothing he could do, but watch from the door frame at a distance. He knew that all of his usual ways of comforting Temperance would be useless. Wrapping a warm arm around her shoulder would be purposeless. No kiss could replace Samuel. No hug could give her comfort. No words would reassure her that their son would return alive. He never felt so powerless as in those moments. He watched in silence, his heart torn from his chest, tears running from his eyes and slipping down his face to the floor, as Temperance quietly sobbed in the moonlight.

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_Flashback_.

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Dr. Temperance Brennan slid her card through the scanner and walked slowly onto the podium of the Jeffersonian's Medical Legal Lab. Her eyes quickly lay on the decomposing body of a toddler, not much older than her own son.

Angela looked up and saw Brennan's face. It was that same face she had seen on several cases since Samuel was born. It was much harder for Temperance to separate herself from her cases since she became a mother. Things change. Her ideals changed, her ideas of what heaven and earth were all about morphed, her models of love and faith were molded. Her life had changed. It wasn't the same life she possessed six years ago.

"Are you OK, Sweetie?" Angela broke Temperance from her reverie. Dr. Brennan gasped and took a deep breath in.

"Angela, I didn't see you sitting there."

Angela's face reflected a quiet sadness. "It's another body. I'm no expert, but I think it's part of the kidnapping cases."

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Angela."

"What do we have here?" Cam asked.

"Good morning, Dr. Saroyan. This is the body of a toddler, less than two years of age. I can't tell for sure without examining the sutures on the cranium, but I'd say eighteen to twenty-one months of age. Male."

Cam laid a gentle hand on Brennan's shoulder. "You can sit this case out, Dr. Brennan. I can have Jorge take over for you."

"No offense to Dr. Santiago, but I have at least fifteen years on him in Forensic Anthropology experience. If you're insinuating that I cannot compartmentalize, then you're wrong," she replied coldly.

"Dr. Brennan, I have full faith in your abilities. If you think you can compartmentalize, then I believe you."

"Thank you." Temperance cleared her throat and continued to examine the body. "These bones will need to be cleaned before I can continue." Brennan pulled her blue gloves from her hands. She shoved them into her pockets as she escaped to the haven of her office.

Behind closed doors, shades drawn, where nobody could see her weakness, she let her feelings envelop her. She cried softly. That could have been her son. Somewhere out there a mother and a father did not have their son that night. Somewhere out there they were anguishing over the loss of their son, praying for his safe return, hoping that they would be free of that pain.

A soft knock at the door forced Dr. Brennan to wipe her tears on her face and compose herself. She lifted her face to see the face of someone she had grown to love and call her best friend. "Bones?" He asked. "Ange called this morning. I thought you might need a shoulder to lean on."

Brennan stood and ran into the arms of her partner and boyfriend. She nuzzled her head against his chest, letting him wrap his strong arms around her. Booth let her be weak. That's why she loved him so much. Booth let her be human. That's why she knew her old theory on love was painfully incorrect and debunked.

She let him hold her, rubbing her shoulder and back as he held her in silence. After the first several bodies of kidnapped toddlers came to the Jeffersonian, Booth could see that it was bothering Bones. He noticed how she became more agitated during their investigations, how she called Samuel's daycare every hour to check on their son, how she often needed times like this where he just held her in silence... But he noticed more and more how she held their son at night, cuddling him until he fell asleep, holding him as long as she possibly could before returning to their bedroom and falling beside him.


	2. Chapter 2: Meet Samuel

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Chapter 2

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Temperance stood back so she could look into Seeley's swarthy hazel eyes. He knew how she was feeling as of late. There was no need to hide her feelings from him. He could always read her. He knew her heart better than anybody she knew. When she thought the world would fall around her, he was always there to hold it up. When she thought she had no family, he was there to be her family. Now he gave her the greatest gift of all, a son.

The door opened and Angela, her womb swollen, as she was in her eighth month of pregnancy, entered the office with a sandy blond haired little boy in her arms. Samuel reached out his arms. "Mah-Mee!" He cried out to his mother, his arms extended. Temperance pulled him to her heart and held him close for several minutes. "Sammy..." She breathed in his sweet scent. He smelled like a boy no matter what. Even when she used flowery soaps, by the end of the day he always smelled like Sammy. No matter what.

"I thought you might need some cheering up." Booth winked at her.

"Thank you." Her azure eyes glittered in his direction, letting him know how truly thankful she was. Holding Samuel close, she was assured of his safety. She knew that he was tangible, reachable, true. When she held him close, she felt a feeling of love she had never felt before. An unwavering feeling that washed over her like a frothy ocean wave. "Thank you." Her fingers slipped into Seeley's.

After a few seconds, Samuel wriggled from his mother's arms. Temperance let him down carefully and he began to wander around the office. He found his basket, in a corner, full of educational toys. Dr. Brennan-Approved Toys, to be exact... or as his father referred to them: Boring Toys. "Where are the bats and baseballs, Bones?" He once asked her. She relented and a foam baseball and bat were added to the collection. Who was she to question his fathering abilities when Parker was such a wonderful boy--almost teenager.

Booth walked over to his son and scooped him up, raising him into the sky so he could reach his chubby little phalanges to the ceiling. He dropped him into his arms and attacked his little chin with kisses, sending peals of laughter throughout the Medico-Legal Lab.

Across the halls in her office, Camille looked up from her work and smiled. The sound of child-like laughter was not uncommon any more at the Jeffersonian. Six years later, Angela was about to give birth to her second daughter. Temperance, the self-proclaimed spinster was now a mother, and Cam herself was engaged to be married to Dr. Jorge Santiago, the newest member of the crew... And yet he had been part of the tight knit team for almost three years now.

The cases involving the kidnapping, ransom, and murder of the four DC Area children were beginning to take their toll on every member of the team. Every ounce of laughter was like medicine. There was no need for sugar to make that medicine go down. Everyone invited the joy and took it in. Quite unlike how they took the days in minute-by-minute since the beginning of the case eight months before.


	3. Chapter 3: Deepest Fears

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Chapter 3

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With her head on his shoulder, the two found themselves, comforting one another, promising each other safety for their son. It wasn't untrue that once they admitted their affection for one another, their lives were bound to change. In positive ways and negative, they had.

"Talk to me, Temperance." Booth exhorted. "I've always let you feel your pain in your own time. I think it's time, though."

With a sober expression, she whispered, barely loud enough for Booth himself to hear, as if she were afraid speaking it would cause it to cross the line from secret fear into reality, "I'm afraid… I fear that our only results will ever be a fruitless search. The only things we've unturned are bodies… and grief. What if they turn their gaze on Sammy? I just couldn't take it, Booth. Whoever has been committing these crimes knows we're on the case. Anybody with access to the internet knows we have a son."

Booth knew nothing could comfort her. The investigation had been so draining on the both of them. The revelation of the discovered children to their parents had been the most painful events of his career. Telling a mother that her son was kidnapped, told to lay in a cage like an animal, fed dog food, murdered… It was something Booth never wanted to relive. She was right, though. Temperance was right. Their own son was in real danger. The only thing he could do was to pray every night that God would protect him and watch over him. If anything did happen to him, that the knowledge would be given to Temperance, the Squints, and to him so that they could find him safely.

In that late hour, Temperance spoke her deepest fears. How she anguished over each child brought to the Jeffersonian, how she saw Samuel in every face Angela reconstructed. How she imagined herself in the place of every parent. She was thankful that Booth was silent, letting her be vulnerable, letting her cry until she drifted off to sleep.

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Temperance pulled the blanket over her shoulders. A cold shiver danced through her body. The summer night was an unusually warm one, and yet the tremor shook her to wakefulness. In the silence of the night, she strained her ears. A sound… a faint sound… like the whispering of dreams into the twilight–So quiet was the night that the faint rustle of curtains from the other room echoed in her ear like a midsummer tempest, drawing her quickly to her feet. Light was her body as she flew to the other room, and yet she was too late.

An empty crib and a wide open window were the only things to greet her as she fell to the carpet, distraught and broken. The white curtains, like veils of sadness drifted in the summer wind, catching her agonizing cries and stealing them into the night sky. The one thing she feared had come true. The one thing she and Seeley had wished would never befall their family had found its dark way into their lives.

Seeley stumbled into the bedroom and trembled at the sight. His bravado was shattered and fell to the carpet where Temperance knelt, her forehead to the ground.

Weakness is only the beginning of the story. Strength is its consequence.


	4. Chapter 4: Unfathomable Hope

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Chapter 4

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In the blur of the early morning, FBI agents swarmed the house of Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan. They were not "Doctor" and "Agent" in those hours, they were grieving parents, just like the rest of the parents they had seen in the past eight months. They were victims. Victims of the worst crime a parent could dream of. The crime that steals children from their parents before they get to say goodbye. It's a fate worse than death. At least in death, a mother can hold her child's lifeless body to her heart and whisper her goodbyes. At least in death, a mother knows where her child has gone. At least in death, a mother can be assured that her child is no longer suffering. When a child is stolen, however, a mother has none of those assurances. The only thing she can hold onto to keep from falling into a pit of despair is her partner's hand.

In those dark hours, with strangers flocking in droves through their house, scrutinizing every detail, dusting for prints, checking for signs of entry, Seeley Booth could only lean against a wall to keep himself from dropping to the ground. He held Temperance in his arms and watched with red-rimmed eyes as every person walked past. He had to be strong for her, although he felt weak.

Eventually things had to clear up. People had to go home, evidence had to be processed, and they had to be left alone... Nearly alone. Two agents in the dining room with a wire tap for their phone whispered in hushed tones as to not upset the troubled parents in the living room.

Angela knocked softly at the door and let herself in. Her eyes were puffy from crying. She found her best friend in the arms of her partner on the couch. She walked over and sat beside Temperance and laid an understanding hand on her shoulder. Her eyes met Seeley's and she mouthed the word, "Sorry." She didn't know what else to say. What does one say to her two best friends when they had lost their child? Sorry was a pathetic attempt at something she so badly wanted to give them: comfort. Comfort was a forlorn subject: unattainable, and obscure.

Joy was an impossible thing; it was indescribable. And yet they clung to it. They clung to joy. Memories of their little boy blossomed in their memories, bringing him back, making him real again. The day Samuel was born was a day that would always be a rose in their memories. He came into the world in a way that was all boy... just like Samuel was... screaming! There wasn't a single moment where the nurses had to stimulate his little body or warm him. Samuel was a fighter. From the beginning he was a fighter... just like his mother... just like his father. That kind of reasoning would have given the parents hope, but hope was still unfathomable.


	5. Chapter 5: Sweet Memories

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Chapter 5

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Seeley left the room in search of coffee. It was well past two in the afternoon and neither had eaten a thing. Angela was a steadfast friend, staying close to Brennan and never wavering in her dedication. With her head on Angela's shoulder, Temperance let her hand fall into her friend's and they sat in silent consternation as the minutes passed.

"He… he really loved Spongebob." A weak smile came to Temperance's lips. She had always tried to encourage educational videos for their son. But despite her efforts, Sammy always loved Spongebob best. After Sammy woke up, he would always run into the living room demanding "Bah-Bob!" He loved singing along. It was a Daddy and Sammy thing. His love stemmed from pre-bedtime viewings of Spongebob. Booth would come home from work and pull his son into his arms where they would watch Spongebob together. "Sammy was supposed to have a Spongebob birthday party." Another warm tear streamed from her face, soaking Angela's shoulder. "What if he doesn't get a second birthday, Ange?"

"He will, sweetie." Angela felt that with those words she was lying. And with those words, Temperance could only pretend to believe she was telling the truth. All of the children before Sammy were kidnapped, ransomed, and within a matter of three days, they were dead. There were no survivors. Not one to speak of. "I… I think that Sammy has something that the other children didn't have. He has a mom who is determined and intelligent. She's solved cases with very little to go on. And he has a dad who has never let a criminal get away with his crimes. And Sammy has us. He has your squints. Sammy is coming back, Bren. I promise." And this time she felt like she was telling the truth… more so than she did before.

Temperance thought back on Sammy's first birthday. At twelve months old, he was already an expert walker. He started walking at 9 months old. Brennan felt a swell of pride in her heart. He was such a smart boy! The birthday on the lawn was a small one. Angela and Hodgins brought their little daughter, Tempie (with an I-E). Zack, who had finally been cleared of all charges, brought his wife and son. Cam and Jorge attended, Sweets, and Dr. Goodman with his daughters and wife as well. It was a close knit group of friends, all there to celebrate the life of a very special little boy.

When she closed her eyes, she could hear the words: "Happy Birthday Dear Sah-meeee. Happy Birthday to Yoooou!" She remembered his chubby feet which he smeared in the birthday cake. Even his blond hair was caked with frosting by the end. Together, she and Seeley bathed their son that afternoon. They knelt at the edge of the bathtub, their hands meeting as they wiped the cake and frosting from Sammy's wriggling body. They leaned close to one another and kissed, then leaned over the tub and gave Sammy a kiss. Each of their lips on opposite sides, causing his lips to purse like a Cabbage Patch Kid.

What if a second year never came around? Temperance was trembling with fatigue. Her eyelids grew heavy as she thought of her son and wondered if he would ever come home. What were their last moments like with Sammy? She held him close as the three–Seeley, Sammy, and she–were in bed. They always spent several minutes in bed together before the lights went out. That time was all too precious and all too fleeting. After Sammy drifted off to sleep in her arms, Seeley lifted him to his bare chest and took him into the nursery where he laid him down. His fingers swirled around the tuft of golden hair on his forehead before coming back into the bedroom with Bones.

Angela stood up and laid Brennan gently on her side. She lifted the throw blanket over her shoulders and went into the kitchen where the three agents were sipping coffee and poured herself a cup.


	6. Chapter 6: The Phone Call

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Chapter 6

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Half past three, the phone rang. Those three rings before the telephone was answered were like needles piercing Temperance's heart. She and Booth froze, waiting for their cue. Agent White nodded his bald head, letting them know that it was now safe for them to answer.

Brennan reached her shaking hand out for the phone and answered it. "Hello?" She answered the phone, almost afraid to hear the voice on the other end.

The voice on the other end finally answered. She felt dizzy, as if she were speaking to the prince of darkness himself. The voice was automated and disguised by digitalization.

"Dr. Brennan, we have your son."

"Who is this?" Her eyes watched the two agents in the kitchen who were gesturing that she should talk to the kidnappers as long as possible. Booth rubbed her shoulder.

"That isn't important, Dr. Brennan. What is important now is the life of your son. I think you'll agree."

"Of course I agree. What do you want?"

"Two million dollars in small unmarked bills. The location of the drop-off point will be text messaged to your phone at sixteen hundred hours. All further communications will be through this untraceable cell phone. Good-bye."

"Wait! How do I know that Sammy's still alive. I won't give you a single cent unless I know that Sammy is alive!"

It was silent on the other line and she could hear rustling in the background.

"Very well." More rustling and the voice digitizer was disabled.

A sweet clear voice came on the phone. "Mommy?" He sobbed.

"Baby? Sammy? I love you. Mommy and Daddy love you!" She felt her eyes filling with tears and blurring her eyesight.

"Dah-dee."

"I love you, baby."

The digitizer came back on, distorting Samuel's little voice. "You have your proof, Dr. Brennan. You have until 6 AM on Saturday. That's sixty-two and a half hours."

The phone cut off, leaving Temperance staring at the phone in disbelief. Her hand shook until the phone slipped from her hand and crashed to the tile floor. Seeley wrapped his arm around Temperance, once again being her pillar of strength in a time where the world was reeling.

"We've got it." Agent York remarked to White.


	7. Chapter 7: Man on a Mission

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Chapter 7

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Seeley Booth stormed through the halls of the Jeffersonian and pushed the doors of the Medico-Legal lab open with puissant force. The doors snapped back creating a bang on either wall. All eyes looked up at the resounding crash. Booth marched up and slid his card before hopping onto the podium, not with his usual upright spring, but with the absolute command of a man on a mission.

He found Hodgins and Dr. Santiago standing together over a child's body. "YOU MISSED SOMETHING!" He raged. His eyes were bloodshot and his eyebrows were low. On his face was a look of terror and frenzied ire. "FIGURE IT OUT, SQUINTS!" He pointed at the clock which now was counting down from 61 hours 13 minutes and 54 seconds. "G-d D-mmit. Figure it out. Use your f--ing brains!" He reached over and upturned a silver rolling table with instruments, saws, and hammers laid out. They clanged on the ground. The cacophonous metallic clatter reverberated from every surface of the lab and drew eyes from every corner to the platform.

"Seeley, you can't do this." Cam came up from behind him and pulled him aside by the cuff of his sleeve. "I understand that you're upset, but my people are working at their full capacity. I can guarantee you that a hundred percent of our manpower is going into getting Samuel home safely."

His stern face broke and became soft. "My son is out there, Cam. I won't forgive myself if those people kill him. I just..." Finally, Booth felt like he could be vulnerable. He had tried so hard since that morning to be strong for Bones and not to grieve in front of her. "I want my son home. This is all my fault." Cam let him cry on her shoulder and didn't say a word. It meant a lot when Seeley Booth let himself cry. After the things he saw and did when he was at war, he had taught himself how to drown out his emotions when it came to despair.

Booth finally looked up and wiped his tears away. "We'll catch that b-stard, Seeley. I swear to you."

"Thank you." He reached out and squeezed his friend's hand.

Dr. Brennan came into the building and slid her card through. Angela was behind her as they approached the podium. Booth looked up and recognized that look of determination on his partner's face. He had seen it before. That same look he saw so many times in so many cases.

"Dr. Brennan, I have Jorge working on the case for you." Cam said as she approached her. "You can go home. Go home, Seeley. Go home, Temperance. You two should be home, waiting for news on Sam." It didn't make sense to her, but it made perfect sense to Temperance.

"I can't just sit back and wait for people to tell me that my son is dead. I have to do something. I have to work. When my parents left me, I fought back in every way I knew how. I used my mind. And that's the only way I know how to find Sammy, Cam. The only way I know how to find Sammy is to use my mind. I found my mother. I found my father. I can find Sam. I can do this. I need to do this, Cam. I can't just sit back. If I do, then I'll just die inside." She stood quietly for a moment, waiting for her final judgment.

"Fine. Of course you can help out, Dr. Brennan."

"Thank you, Cam." She replied as she pulled blue rubber gloves over her hands.

"I want you two to know that I'm very sorry..."

"Don't be sorry, Cam. There's nothing to be sorry about. Samuel is coming home."


	8. Chapter 8: Les and Reed

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Chapter 8

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In a dark room with a dusty floor, a small boy--not larger than 25 pounds--sat crumpled in the corner of a rusty animal cage. The blood of its victims before him dried on ever corner of the metal. Sammy was too young to know what was going on, but he did know one thing. Strangers. All around him were strangers. People walking through the room and tossing scraps of dog food at him. Hungrily he shoveled the bits into his mouth.

"Mah-mee?" He sobbed. "Dah-dee?"

A filthy vagabond of a man kicked the cage with a worn steel toed boot. The child fell against the edge, not knowing why he was being held captive, not knowing where his mother was, not knowing where is father was, not knowing who the faces were who stared back at him. "Shut the hll up." The man growled.

Another man, one that was cleaner than the other man entered the room and sat at the card table. He carried plastic sheeting, duct tape, and other materials for their heinous scheme.

"Mah-mee?"

"Does that little mongrel ever shut up?"

"Reed, man. You send the coordinates?"

"Sent and received."

"Time for Plan 2." He glared down at the boy in the cage.

The cleaner man nodded. "Get the money, kill the boy."

"Leave no evidence."

The dirty man dealt out cards to his cohort. The cards flew onto the cracked yellow table. Reed swept the cards into his hands and studied them for a little while. He laid them out on the table. "Two pair." Reed threw his hand down and smashed his fist into the table. A glass fell onto the ground and burst, causing glass and water to disperse across the filthy floor. The dirty man cursed.

"D-mmit!"

His companion began to scoop up shards into his calloused hands.

"Just leave it, Les."

Samuel jumped at the thundering noise and began to wail. His little face grew red as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Les cursed. "That little bugger never shuts up!"

"Lock him in the bathroom."

Les stood and wrapped his fingers under the wire. He picked up one end and pulled the cage into the restroom at the far end of the hovel and closed the door behind him. Samuel tucked his head between his knees and wept, his cries were drowned by the sound of a nearby freight train. So near, in fact, that the walls of the shack shook as it passed.


	9. Chapter 9: Meet Santiago

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Chapter 9

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With cold sweat beading on her forehead, Dr. Brennan stood in front of her team of squints. The team was bigger on this particular weekend, as every single man and woman who worked the case were in whether it was their weekend off or not. The crowd of twenty faces, some familiar, some not, stood around her as she spoke.

"Let's review the facts. Start from the beginning, but faster. Sixty two hours from now my son will be another corpse for us to identify, and that's not going to happen. What's new? What is our new evidence? What evidence has been overlooked? What evidence is there? Let's get going on this!"

The group dispersed. A hand waved Brennan over to Angela's table where she and Jorge were sitting. "I took the tapes of the phone call and analyzed them."

"Were you able to de-digitize the voice?"

"No. But these guys made a mistake. They turned off the digitization machine so you could talk to Sam. When they were talking to you, there was the sound of a train's horn in the background."

"What does that mean?" Booth blurted.

"That's for Dr. Santiago."

"Taking the tapes I was able to analyze tonal qualities in the horn. The sound most definitely came from a passing freight train. Freight trains are the ones who carry cargo from place to place. I then analyzed the speed at which the horn moved from the background to the foreground, so to speak." He clicked around on the screen which showed the sound waves as he spoke. "I was able to approximate the speed at which the train was going. Twenty miles per hour, justifying the assumption that whoever these people are, they're located in a rural area, far from processing stations as it takes up to fifteen miles of rail time before one can reach those speeds." He then clicked around a little more on the keyboard. "I then separated the sound of the horn, Samuel's voice, indiscriminate background noises, and the rattling of the freight train as it passed. I took into consideration the speed, the sounds, and the horn and determined that the train was only carrying at half load, or thirty freight cars." He paused and swallowed nervously. "I hope that helps."

Booth laid an open hand on his shoulder. "That helps. Thank you." His other hand slipped into Temperance's... but only for a second, before she regained her dizzying pace.

"Let's re-examine every body still in storage." She pointed at an intern. "Go to limbo and help Jorge and Marcus. I want to see every piece of evidence in the bags." Makeshift lab stations were pulled up from every corner of the building as squints, interns, agents, and grad students worked hand in hand.

With her mind careening from the events of the day, Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth found unwavering stability with their concentration set in their work and finding their son alive. Brennan looked up. The world seemed a lot more logical when the swarming faces around her were working as part of her team. She recognized every face, even if she couldn't put a name to each of them. But they were not strangers to her. They were friends. They were colleagues. They were family.


	10. Chapter 10: 26 Hours and Counting

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Chapter 10

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In her office, Temperance sat in solitary quiescence. It seemed like the darkness of the world and the evil that abided within had fallen all around her. For the first time in over twenty hours, her thoughts were quieted by her weariness. She was exhausted, not just because she was running on just six hours of sleep in the past twenty four hours, but also by her overwrought emotions. The gloom of the evening slowly closed in on her until she felt that there could not possibly room for light in her thoughts. The day had unearthed very few new clues. Five bodies. One child missing. One buried. From her past experience, she knew that the answers were in the anomalies, but what were the anomalies? Every child was found wrapped in plastic. Not a single finger print on the plastic sheeting; not one on the duct tape, either. Death by suffocation. Clues in the blare of the freight train. A rural hovel. A wire cage that was rusting. Dog food.

Booth roused her from her thoughts. He stood by the door jamb quietly, his shoulder slumped and his face drawn in a serious frown.

"We didn't have seventy-two hours, Booth." She whispered.

"What?"

"We had forty-eight. Each of the children were killed shortly after the money was dropped. That only leaves us with twenty-six, now."

"And they want the money today...at six in the evening."

"If we don't find him by tomorrow at six AM, then he'll be gone." Booth walked over and sat beside her. He slid his arm around her shoulders and let her lay her head on his. He smoothed her golden brown hair between his fingers. "We have to exhume the first body, Booth." Faintly, hope swelled in the room. "There is the anomaly, Booth. They released his body when the assumed Derek Werner wasn't part of a larger crime. He may have evidence we didn't see before. They always make mistakes in the beginning, Booth." Her voice rose with excitement.

Seeley pulled his cell phone from his pocket and speed dialed Cullen's number. Cullen reached for the copper lamp cord in the darkness and tugged gently. The room flooded with a soft light. He blinked to adjust his eyes, then answered the phone with a brusque voice. "Yeah?"

"Sir, it's Special Agent Seeley Booth. The team and I need an exhumation order for Derek Werner."

On the other line, Cullen sat up in bed, wearing blue striped pajamas, and glanced with vexation at the clock which read 4:00 AM. "Agent Booth, do you really think that the Werners, grieving parents, would let you dig up the body of their only son?"

"Sir, we have reason to believe that valuable evidence may have been overlooked before his burial. Nobody knew that he was part of a serial crime when he was buried."

"What sort of evidence are you so sure you'll find on the Werner kid?"

Booth glanced over at Bones, she heard the entire thing and reached for the phone. "Sir? This is Dr. Brennan. I have reason to believe that the soil samples were not properly categorized from Derek Werner's remains. This could lead not only to the ascertainment of our son, but also the murderer of four other children. We can stop this crime in the making, sir. We just need your say-so."

Cullen slid to the edge of his bed and spoke quietly so as to not wake his wife who lay beside him. "You have my permission, Dr. Brennan. But don't screw this up, or I'll have both of your jobs."


	11. Chapter 11: His Prayer

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Chapter 11

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The same darkness that shrouded Dr. Temperance Brennan and Agent Seeley Booth was the same darkness that enveloped a tiny shivering body forty miles away. A chubby towheaded toddler, his hair caked in mud and dirt, cowered at the edge of his prison. The cold rusty wire metal jutted from the corners that were worn from use and neglect and cut into his flesh. Everywhere hurt for Samuel, and the pain of his wounds paled in comparison to the pain of his loneliness. He longed for his mother. He longed for comfort. He longed for home. Children, at a year and a half old, thrive in familiar settings. The musty, dank restroom where the crate had been dragged into was far from familiar. The fetid stench of the overflowing toilet permeated his little nostrils and every filthy inch of the clothing he wore. His once blue pajamas were putrid and soiled–not only from the overflowing toilet, but also from a diaper that had gone long unnoticed.

The boy writhed in discomfort. His growling belly, his parched dry lips, the multiple wire scratches in his pink baby skin, the diaper rash that was beginning to crack and bleed from the acidity of his urine and bowel movements–all caused a fragmented slumber which caused his eyes to fly open every quarter of an hour. He moaned in pain. Being weak from his ailments, he had long ago stopped calling out for his mother. He had forgotten what the word "daddy" felt like on his lips. He simply pouted and groaned.

But the three shared that same darkness, and peace fell to all. Heavy eyelids came to everyone. Despite Temperance's desperation to stay awake and work, her body had quite another plan in store for her. Seeley Booth lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom, laying her on the right side of the bed. Fully clothed, he lay beside her and whispered a prayer to God that in the next night they would together be watching their son's sky blue eyes grow limp, and together they would watch him drift into dreamland.


	12. Chapter 12: A Shared Sorrow

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Chapter 12

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Seeley Booth woke up. His sleep had been interrupted by nightmares. He constantly looked at the clock, making sure he only got four hours of sleep. He slid his hand through the sheets to the right side of the bed. It was an unconscious movement that he had become so accustomed to that he now did it every night. He would reach through and find Temperance beside him. That feeling of warmth against his hand would soothe him back to sleep. This time was different. On the other side of the bed, he found nothing. An empty space where she once lay. Booth glanced at the clock. It was a little after six in the morning. He lowered his feet to the carpet. He knew where to find her--In the nursery.

Booth never felt so weak and helpless in his entire life. There was simply nothing he could do, but watch from the door frame at a distance. He knew that all of his usual ways of comforting Temperance would be useless. Wrapping a warm arm around her shoulder would be purposeless. No kiss could replace Samuel. No hug could give her comfort. No words would reassure her that their son would return alive. He never felt so powerless as in those moments. He watched in silence, his heart torn from his chest, tears running from his eyes and slipping down his face to the floor, as Temperance quietly sobbed.

Seeley walked into the room and knelt beside her. He looked up through the dim moonlight and looked into Temperance's eyes. They were red from crying and lined with dark circles from sleeplessness. Neither had to say a word. Their sorrow was a shared burden. She leaned her cheek on his head and together they wept. Who knew that eighteen months before the two of them, exhausted from adjusting their sleep patterns to that of a newborn, sat in the same place. They wept then, too. But it was from joy and not sadness. It was from newness and not agony. It was from love and not despair. Temperance pulled Booth's head closer to her heart. An irrational part of her wished that if she pulled him closer then she would get that second chance... that second chance for a family.


	13. Chapter 13: The Exhumation

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Chapter 13

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_"Order Authorizing Exhumation of Derek S. Werner"_

_"It appearing that this case has not been properly handled upon initial examination of the remains, the doctors of anthropological forensics, Brennan and Santiago, and FBI Special Agent Booth, do hereby state that grievous oversights of the case may have led to evidential shortcomings."_

_" 1. The complainants are authorized, at the expense of the Bureau, to engage M. Cummings Burial Services, Inc., to locate and exhume the aforesaid remains, under the supervision of various anthropological doctors and agents of the FBI and a representative of Apricot Acres Funeral Home."_

_"2. The complainant has the authority to unearth the entirety of Burial Plot 44798 and nothing more, and the reinternment of said remains once reexamination concludes."_

_"3. Once exhumation, examination and categorization of found evidence, and reinternment culminates, Special Agent Booth will certify by letter to this court that said measures were accomplished with due care and decency."_

_"Signed, Judge Raymond K. Whitehead 08/20/2014"_

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The sun was barely peeking above the horizon when the exhumation commenced. Temperance stood at one end of the casket as it was slowly raised above the soil and into the sunlight. Her hand was tucked into Booth's pocket where their hands were intertwined. She watched the couple across from her and wondered if that would be Booth and her in a few hours.

A mother. A father. Mrs. Werner buried her head into her husband's chest as she saw her son come back into the world, in a way she never hoped to see. The pain of seeing her son exhumed paled in comparison to the pain of discovering he was missing and even more so to when she discovered he was dead. It felt like a jagged piece of glass was ripping through her flesh and cutting out her heart. Her eyes lifted from her husband's tan jacket. At thirty-two she never felt older. Her joints were weak and she felt light headed. She knew the couple on the other side of the backhoe which pulled back blackened Maryland soil into a frothy pile at its base. She knew that couple. The man and woman worked on her son's case and now they were bringing him back from the grave. She felt furious, but at the same time she felt such a flood of compassion. Tears poured from the corners of her eyes. She pulled away from her husband's grasp and rounded the grave to the other side.

"Agent Booth?"

Booth wondered if she was going to hit him. "Mrs. Werner. I'm sincerely sorry, I--"

"Agent Booth, don't apologize." She tried to keep her tone steady as she spoke. "I understand. I saw you on the news. I know this man has your baby, too. If it means that Derek has to be unburied, then so be it."

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Werner."

She reached out for his hand and gripped it in hers tightly. "Agent Booth. I know what it feels like. The uncertainty. Not knowing if you'll ever smell your baby-- Your baby boy's hair after a bath, feel his kisses in the morning, hear his voice say Mommy. I know what it's like. I just pray to God that He has given the wisdom to you and your team to bring your son home safely." She turned and walked back to where her husband was standing.

Booth froze, stunned by Mrs. Werner's speech. It was not verbatim, but Booth had prayed that very thing the night Sammy disappeared. He didn't pray for Samuel to come back. Too vague. He prayed for the abilities of the team to be concentrated and enhanced. He knew his team. Squints, they might be, but their genius brought many children home to their parents. Just as God gave Solomon wisdom, he prayed that He would also smile down from heaven on his team and on his son.

Seeley Booth had faith in God. He had faith in his team. But it was also safe to say that one might have been magnified by the other.


	14. Chapter 14: The Examination

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Chapter 14

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Temperance and Seeley followed the coffin through the halls of the Jeffersonian. It seemed like some sort of processional. Eyes followed them, perhaps recognizing the irony of the situation. They were both dressed in black and trailed the casket as it made its way to the Medico-Legal Lab. Bones tried to keep her eyes averted. She did not want sympathy. She had never wanted sympathy. Why have sympathy for a tragedy that was about to be avoided? She felt Booth's fingers reach for hers. Together they walked the halls as the gloom reached every wall, every eye, every heart.

They were met at the door by a tall Hispanic man with a handsome face--Dr. Santiago. He placed his gloved hands on the coffin and helped lead the team to where the remains would be removed from their resting spot. The bolts were slowly removed, causing a fine cloud of dust rise in the air. How could something so mundane... something that had happened hundreds of times in the Medico-Legal lab leave such a heavy fog on everyone who looked on?

At last the heavy Mahogany lid was lifted from its groove, revealing the body within. A small child, still decomposing, with delicate wisps of brown hair still clinging to the tissue on the skull, lay quietly--as if in a nightmarish dream state. A breath was caught in everyone's throats. Cam looked up to see how Seeley and Dr. Brennan were taking it. Booth was trying desperately to reign in his thoughts, while Dr. Brennan, who was usually so composed, was beginning to shake uncontrollably.

"Dr. Brennan, are you OK?"

She looked up with her eyes glassy from tears. "I think I just need to eat something. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning."

"Bones..."

"Booth, I can't give up now. Every moment I'm feeding my face, my son is being tortured. I'm not hungry!"

Cam's face was remorseful, "Seeley--"

Booth knew what that sentence would entail. He draped his arm around Temperance and led her out of the lab and into her office. Every eye watched them as they disappeared behind the door.

Camille cleared her throat and blinked away tears. "Let's get to work, people. Twenty-two hours." The team gathered around. Dr. Jack Hodgins was quick to remove the clothing--the most valuable evidence to him. Everybody was curious about what evidence was overlooked. What evidence could this child hold that would bring Samuel back to his family?

Hodgins brought the clothing back to his station where he began examination of the frayed attire. Angela found her way to her husband's work station. She spent all night running scenarios and doing everything in her abilities and power for her best friends. Hodgins looked up. He knew this had been hard on Angela. Since last night, her contractions were beginning to pick up and grow stronger and more consistent. She stood close to him, her hand on his shoulder. He reached out and rubbed her belly. Nothing was said between the two. They knew each other well. Ups and downs, they fought through it all and came out stronger in the end.

Hodgins stopped rubbing and immediately increased the magnification on his electron microscope. His eyes grew wide with astonishment. "Angie... go get Dr. Brennan!"

Angela's hand released from his shoulder like it was fiery hot and walked quickly to Brennan's office. She recognized the sharp tones in his voice. Those tones were excited. They were scared. They were celebratory.


	15. Chapter 15: The Dirt

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Chapter 15

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Seeley Booth sat beside his love on the couch in her office. He offered a banana to her, which she refused vehemently.

She stood, but her hand was pulled back, causing her to sit once again. "Booth, every minute I'm not searching for Sammy is another minute off his life!" She cried as she spoke.

"Bones, you can't search if you have no energy. Just take a bite." She did, then walked toward the door of her office.

Angela burst through the door, out of breath. "Bren! Jack found something!"

Brennan and Booth met eyes, then ran out of the room to Hodgins' work station. "Hodgins, what do you have?" Booth asked, his jib revealing that he had allowed his hope to soar.

Hodgins took a breath and gritted his teeth before answering quickly, "On the three bodies that were discovered more recently, not counting Derek or Sam, the soil found on the victims matched that of a Sassafras soil profile: a dark brown sandy loam with a subsoil upper of strong brown sandy clay loam."

"You're speaking gibberish, Hodgins." Booth warned.

"Booth, let him speak." Brennan's hand slipped into his, as if to hold him to earth.

"The Sassafras profile is most often found in Maryland."

"We're in DC, that doesn't help. We're basically surrounded by Maryland."

"Booth!"

"OK, so I charted the soils of Maryland and surrounding states that meet that profile. The Sassafras soil profile is mapped in nearly 50,000 acres in Maryland and seldom elsewhere. _However_," Hodgins' eyes grew wide, as if in a eureka moment. "Upon inspection of Derek Werner's clothing, the techs at the coroner overlooked soil evidence and it wasn't categorized. You were right, Dr. Brennan."

"What's up with the dirt, Hodgins?"

"Greenwich Soil. It was all over Derek's remains. Greenwich soil is characterized by brown loam and a subsoil upper of strong brown loam." He paused to take a breath. "Greenwich soil is most often found in Delaware."

"Meaning..." Brennan started to think aloud.

"Meaning," Booth interjected. "That whoever these people are, they started in Delaware before finding their hiding place in Maryland." Booth lifted his cell phone to his ear, then put it down. "They're most likely near the border. But, that doesn't narrow it down very far... not far enough to find Sam. Not in the next ten hours, anyway." The dark cloud of hopelessness once again descended, shading Booth's face. The creases in his forehead and around his eyes grew deeper.

Dr. Santiago was listening in on the conversation. "Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth... I think I can help narrow down your search..."


	16. Chapter 16: The Maps

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Chapter 16

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Dr. Santiago led the group to his office, a small room near Dr. Saroyan's office. He sat down and opened up a program on his desktop. "I believe that by overlaying the maps of the Greenwich and Sassafras soils..." He pulled up the two maps and overlaid them. "We can get a better idea of where the two might meet."

"Can you overlay the railroad lines that support freight trains?"

The man clicked on his computer and brought up those maps. He laid them on top of the others. "Here..."

"That still leaves us with a twenty mile radius. That's a lot of track to search. Is there anything else we can do to narrow it down?" Brennan asked.

Hodgins spoke up. "I haven't examined the victim's shoes, yet. Shoes often carry spores, pollen, seeds... I can get an idea of what type of soil he walked in last."

"Excellent! Do that!" Booth walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Bones asked.

"It's almost six. I've got to make the drop."

Worry flooded Temperance's eyes, "You can't do that, Booth. They'll kill Sammy once they get the money!"

He walked up to her and held her in a tight, yet loving hug. "Bones, I'm only doing what we have to… to get Sam home alive. If we don't make the drop they'll kill him sooner than if we didn't."

"I'm coming with you, then." She pulled away from his grasp and snatched her jacket before heading out the door with Booth.

"I'll get right on it." Hodgins said, then headed for his station. When he arrived, Angela was nowhere to be seen. She was not near his station, or hers. The truth was, she was in Dr. Brennan's office, hiding from peering eyes as painful contractions seized her body.


	17. Chapter 17: A Buoy in the Sea

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Chapter 17

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Les and Reed sat patiently in an old rusty red Ford truck, parked some two hundred yards from the drop point. They were much more cautious this time around. All of the other times, they had blackmailed regular folks. Teachers, dentists, cashiers, etc... But this time they were working on their most difficult ransom yet. Reed was dressed as an old woman with an old gray wig and a Thrift Store wardrobe. Les was dressed more casually, with the exception of the set of binoculars in his hand.

Booth and Brennan watched from afar, scrutinizing every citizen who walked near the inconspicuous black duffel bag sitting beneath a park bench. Nobody stooped to swipe it from beneath the bench. After several long arduous minutes, a child came along. Nobody noticed the child at first. He was about ten, dark hair, dark clothing,--He blended in perfectly with the scenery and the suited businessmen and women who sauntered past the bench.

The boy stopped and reached beneath the bench. He took the bag in hand, then took off across traffic, quick as a whip.

"He's on the move!"

"Shoot him!"

"He's a kid!"

"Gd Dmmit!"

The boy slipped past halting, screeching, honking cars. Horns blared at the child who leaped through the labyrinth of motorists and pedestrians. He stopped at the red Ford and thrust the bag into the window. He stood, waiting anxiously for a few seconds. Nothing. "Hey, where's my money?"

The man in the dress hurled a few dollars at the boy and grumbled, "Thanks a lot, kid," before speeding off through traffic. The Ford wove through traffic easily since cars were piled up from the boy's jolt through the road.

Temperance ripped out of the black van and took off after the red truck. Booth ran after her. She ran with all of her might and power, her feet light--like the morning Samuel was abducted--She zigzagged through the people, trying to keep her eye on the red Ford all along. At last the rusty Ford disappeared out of sight several blocks down. She stopped. There went her last physical hope of finding Samuel alive. Within minutes, her heart rose and fell like an ocean tide. Tears stung her eyes as her feet came to a stop. Booth wrapped his arms around her and let her cry. They were like a buoy in the ocean. The waves continued to crash around them, water kept flowing, birds kept cawing, but they stood still and held one another amongst the chaos.


	18. Chapter 18: Angela

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Chapter 18

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Angela gripped her stomach tightly. She could hardly breathe, the pain was so intense. She watched the clock on the wall. Her eyesight wavered and grew fuzzy. When she thought she could take it no longer, the pain began to relieve itself. It had been ten minutes since the last contraction. Her deepest fear since the day before when the contractions began to pick up was beginning to take hold. Jack was needed. His work was invaluable to the team. And she knew that, perhaps to her own detriment.

Standing in the laboratory, Cam looked around and noticed that Angela was missing. She sought her out. Angela's office was empty, so it was easy to decide where to search next. And there she was, lying on her side, breathing shallowly. "Oh, Gd, Angela! Are you in labor?"

Angela didn't respond. After a few seconds the tightness of her face relaxed and she sat up and acknowledged Cam's presence. "Cam. Please, don't tell Hodgins. If he knows that I'm in labor, then he won't stay here. Sam is more urgent right now."

"Angela, you're not thinking rationally--"

"I am, Cam. I am thinking rationally. The first stage of labor can last upwards of twelve hours. I've got time. My contractions are almost ten minutes apart. I'm not even close to needing a ride to the hospital, yet. Please, Cam. Please... don't tell Jack."

Cam stood quietly. She didn't know how to react. Was Angela's rationale correct? She breathed in deeply and crossed her arms. "Fine, Angela. Call me if you need anything. Keep timing those contractions." She turned and walked out, catching a glimpse of Angela as she doubled up in another contraction.


	19. Chapter 19: Angels in the Lab

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Chapter 19

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Temperance watched the scenery changing and rolling outside of her window. The horizon tumbled and turned with the hills, trees, and skyscrapers. She did not think about anything. She could not. She would not. She knew that by letting her mind think, she would automatically picture Samuel in his wire pen, rusty, gouging his little arms and legs. _Hungry. He must be hungry. He must thirst. Does he miss his mommy and daddy? There. I'm thinking about Samuel. The case. Keep your mind on the case_. At last she let herself blink when the black van came to its resting spot in front of the Jeffersonian. Booth had to practically carry her into the building.

They were immediately met by Dr. Santiago's blazing brown eyes. While leaning on Booth's sturdy shoulder, the pair made their way to Angela's office. The glowing lights of the Angelator radiated around the room, causing every face to become shadowed and highlighted.

Angela stood as calmly as she could. Sweat had made her hairline moist. She chalked it up to those who asked as being pregnancy hormones or the stress of the investigation. The truth was that it took quite a lot of energy, more than could be conceived by those who had never given birth, to keep her cool and stand upright during the contractions that racked her body. She fought the urge to fall to her knees, to grip her belly, to apply counter pressure to her back.

She concentrated hard to steady her voice before speaking, "I input Dr. Santiago's maps that he brought up on his mainframe. I overlaid both of them along with the train tracks which transported freight cargo, which revealed about twenty miles of land along the Delaware/Maryland border where Sammy might be."

Hodgins looked quizzically at Angie. He noticed that Angela was acting strangely, so he continued for her. "I discovered _Asclepias tuberosa_ or butterfly milkweed pollen on Derek Werner's right sneaker sole." Angela brought up the map as he spoke and overlaid it on top of the soil/train track maps. "Butterfly milkweed is a native plant in Delaware. Derek is from DC, so we know that it came from wherever he was held hostage. Over here, you can see that the known habitat of the _Asclepias tuberosa_ is quite small--about a fifty mile radius. Once that map is laid on top of the soil and track map, you can see that that narrows down the search area to a five mile radius."

Before Hodgins could finish his sentence, Booth was on the phone calling out the coordinates to his superior. "Let's go!" He called to Bones. A sudden burst of energy carried her out the door behind her partner.

After they had left the room, Hodgins walked closer to his wife. "Angie, are you OK?" He asked with fear in his voice.

Angela realized that they could finally find Samuel with the information her husband was able to give to Booth and Brennan. She collapsed in pain on the ground and finally allowed herself to breathe heavily with the contractions. She allowed her body to do what it was begging to do. Cam and Jorge jumped and swiftly ran to the other side of the room. Jorge and Jack locked arms and carried Angela out of the room, each of her arms wrapped around a man's neck.

"Angie, you're only 36 weeks!"

She breathed heavily before she could answer Jack. "I know!"

"Why didn't you tell me you're in labor?"

"You had to help find Sam. I knew you'd choose me over your work." He leaned in and kissed her forehead as the men walked as fast as they could out of the door and outside.

"Angie, you know I've always thought you were my angel. Now I know you're Samuel's angel, too."


	20. Chapter 20: In a Hallow

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Chapter 20

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Over a hill, in a hallow, the team of FBI agents assembled. Across the hill was a small shanty beside a railroad track. It was made up of plywood and two by fours. The shack almost seemed to be held up by an imaginary force, for its lack of nails and a proper frame. That familiar red Ford pickup was parked outside of it. Movement within. A light that moved from side to side, as if a lamp had been bumped, causing its luminescence to ricochet from the walls of the small apartment.

Agent White, Agent York, an old familiar friend named Charlie, Agent Booth, and Dr. Brennan were there among others. Many were not even involved in the case, but Seeley Booth was one of those guys. He was cheerful and funny. He loved to joke with his colleagues. He made friends easily. Brothers. They were brothers, and they stood up for one another... especially when tragedy hit home in a very personal way, the way that it had with Agent Booth's family.

Booth pulled a black bulletproof vest over his navy blue FBI jacket and locked the clasps securely in front of his chest. He slid them into one another carefully, so as to keep the snap from causing an obnoxious click which would carry itself on the wind into the ears of the fugitives in the hovel. Temperance was quick to seize a spare vest and throw her arms through the armholes.

"What are you doing?" Seeley whispered harshly to her.

"I'm going in with you." Her voice was emphatic and absolute. She had made the decision and there was no arguing with her.

"Stay behind. I can't lose you." Booth drew the cold night air into his lungs, filling them and stretching his chest. He felt faint and let the air out. Nervous. He was nervous. A part of him was afraid of what he would see. He knew from the nature of the cases before that the children were kept like animals in wire cages. He also knew from past cases that the children were abused horribly and murdered capriciously. Would his son be alive? Would he be dead? He tried his best to prepare himself for what he would see within those four walls.

Booth rose two fingers in the air, catching the eye of every agent. He made a quick gesture with his wrist, letting every man know it was time to move in. Silently, as if their feet were woven from silk, they slid around the hut, finding their starting points. Some behind exits, some beneath windows, some on the roof, and with the most experienced agents at the door.

Booth could feel his head pounding with anticipation. The blood throbbed. _THROB-THROB-THROB_ like the sound of an echo cardiogram, catching the sonance of blood bursting through the veins and arteries in his head and ears. He held his gun firmly in his right hand and held out his hand for the final motion which would trigger the sudden influx of agents into the lair.


	21. Chapter 21: Red Embers

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Chapter 21

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Special Agent Seeley Booth lifted his hand and made a gesture to the man behind him. The message was quickly spread throughout the team. Booth slipped out his hand and quietly turned the handle. Locked. He leaned back on his left leg and snapped his right leg out, toppling the door over with a violent crash. Shards of wood and particles of dust filled the room with a cloud of white. The team spilled into the hovel. Les and Reed, the kidnappers at large, jumped to their feet, completely taken off guard. Reed dropped the cards and his arms flailed in the air. The other man was quicker to respond to the onslaught. He leaped through a nearby window where he was immediately pummeled to the ground by a young strong agent who was overseeing the back of the shanty.

Bones was not too far behind. Her eyes searched the little room for her son. It wasn't a large room, so her search was quickly over and her heart sunk below the dusty floorboards. They were too late. They were too late. Booth saw the panic on Temperance's face and also searched the room for the cage, for the boy, for any sign of life.

His first reaction was fury. He flew at the man in front of him, snatching him by the collar and throwing his body like that of a rag doll's against the wall. "Where is he?" He growled. If it was possible, his eyes would be burning like the red embers of fire--spitting, popping, searing. The man only laughed in his face, which was like throwing fuel into the fire. Booth pulled the man back and then smashed the man into the wall harder. He doubled up his fist and slugged him. The impact threw his body onto the floor. He was a marionette at the hands of a very large and very angry father.

Brennan stepped into the man's eyesight, squatting so he could get a good look at her face. "Where is Samuel? Where is my son!?" The man's eyes gleamed with ire, pain, and sheer callousness. Not many men flashed such a look at Temperance Brennan without feeling the effects in the morning. She stood up quickly and struck at him with her boot, the collision causing two of his ribs to snap like twigs. He relented when the pain shot through his body. He pointed towards the little restroom door. There was no handle, just a hole where one belonged. Temperance pushed against the door with her shoulder. Something behind it kept the door from swinging freely with her weight. A cold shiver ran through her spine. She feared the worse. Was it a child's body that lay in the way? She pushed firmly and gently until just enough of a crack was created where she could peek around the door.

The cage. It was a cage. She breathed with relief and pushed again.

Inside of the malodorous latrine was a rusty cage. And within the cage was a little body. Her hands shook as she quickly untwisted the wires which held the wire door to the wire cage. She reached deep into the cage until her hands met the cold little body. She pulled him to her heart. Seeing her son with his face and hair caked in filth, his body punctured with thousands of tiny cuts, and his diaper full of feces and urine caused her heart to ache with the pain of guilt and sadness. Tears of elation and joy were mixed with those of heartache, which often comes at the end of a very unsteady road.


	22. Chapter 22: Dandelions and Dirt

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Chapter 22

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Fear. Dread. Panic. Terror. For a moment, as Temperance held Samuel's limp body, she did not allow herself to breathe. His long blond lashes fluttered, then a crystalline blue eye peeped from beneath his grayish pink lid, then slid in the back of his head. The act itself to lift and lower his lid took far too much energy from his fatigued body. She allowed herself to draw oxygen through her gaping mouth. When the breath was released, so was emotion like a torrent. She sobbed and drew the boy close to her face, wanting to never let him go again. She kissed his chubby little cheeks. "Mommy's here, Sammy. Mommy's here." Samuel's cheek rested on her shoulder. She drew in his scent. It was the same scent. The scent of lilacs and dandelions. The scent of dust and dirt. The scent of Tonka trucks in the sand and the smell of his sweet baby breath. She remembered every nuance of the way his warm arms felt around her neck. And, for perhaps the first time in her life, she whispered her thanks to God.

Booth pushed his way into the bathroom. Temperance turned her head. That glimmer of pure bliss in her sapphire eyes twinkled back at him. He let his lips curl into a smile. For the first time in days his face relaxed. The folds of his cheeks and forehead, once drawn tightly together like the ruffle of flamenco dancer's skirt, softened and lifted. He knew that sparkle in her eyes. He had seen it once before.

He remembered that day and would forever. He held his left hand beneath Bones' shoulder as she bore down and pushed. Her head was slick with sweat. She relaxed her upper body, not believing she could push any more. Temperance had been pushing for hours. Samuel was posterior, meaning his head was facing upward, making it harder for him to maneuver through the birth canal. Dr. Woodridge was quick to order a nurse to have the ER prepared in case of a Cesarean Section. In her weakness, she clasped her fingers beneath her thighs and pushed one more time. At last, Samuel slid into the world. He writhed, his body bloody, still attached to his mother by a rope of umbilical cord. That first time he laid eyes on Samuel... so small... so perfect... so wrinkly! He laughed with relief as the doctor laid him on his mother's chest. Temperance let her hands rise and touch her new son. Mother and father met eyes. There was that glimmer. That glimmer of hope, that glimmer of love, that glimmer of joy.

There was no doubt in her mind, the moment Samuel entered the world, that there was a such thing as love. Falling in love with Seeley Booth was one thing, but falling in love with a person she had only seen for a second was yet another. And there they stood. On either side of a dark, dank, fetid bathroom, with a rusting cage between them. They held each other's gazes in the dimness of the night as the red lights of an ambulance flashed on their faces.


	23. Chapter 23: Family is Family

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Chapter 23

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Seeley Booth entered the bathroom and wrapped his arms around his son and girlfriend. A part of him wished that he could say 'son and wife', but putting aside that sting he concentrated on the joy of knowing he held his family in his arms. Titles didn't matter any more. He knew how little titles mattered at that moment. He had asked Temperance to be his wife three times before. Three times she told him no. There was no point in arguing with her. If she finally said yes after an argument, then there would be no victory in that. He wanted her to _want_ to be his wife, true, but family is family. He realized that when he held them close.

A man in a blue button up shirt and a patch on his shoulder that said Fire and Rescue slid into the room along side the couple. His nose scrunched as the smell of fecal waste burned his nostrils. "I'm Tom. I'm an EMT." He held out his hands and took Samuel into his arms. Booth and Brennan followed him into the main room where they laid their son on a stretcher and began taking his vitals.

"What's that for?" Booth asked worriedly as they started an IV.

"Fluids. He's dehydrated." A paramedic answered.

They lifted the stretcher and began to wheel him into the ambulance. "I want to go with you... please," Brennan begged.

The man in the blue uniform must have noticed the desperation in her voice because he relented. "Just one of you."

Seeley pulled her into a hug. "I'll meet you there." She nodded and followed the stretcher outside to the open back doors of the ambulance. Before clamoring into the back, she turned back for one last look at Booth. He was always there for her. Always there for Samuel. He stood a few feet away. His face was blank with weariness and concern. His hands were pushed deep into his pockets and the red lights flickered on his face. The doors closed and an agent banged on the door three times to let the driver know it was safe to go. The ambulance drove to the end of the drive and out to the unpaved main road. The siren was switched on and began to wail into the night. Temperance watched as Booth's figure became a spot in the darkness and then disappeared.


	24. Chapter 24: Boy in the Helicopter

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Chapter 24

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The ride to the hospital was a long one for Temperance, but not nearly as long and arduous as the journey was from DC to the little town in Delaware. Keeping her thoughts aligned with her son was more difficult than she thought it would be. She watched as his little chest rose and fell, his breaths steaming up the mask over his face. The paramedics tried their best to clean him up on the ride to the hospital. They removed his soiled diaper and applied ointment to his bleeding skin. Samuel's energy was drained to the point where he didn't even cry and push the hands away from his behind as he usually did when he had diaper rash.

When they finally arrived, the ambulance slowed and pulled into the little country hospital. Booth wasn't too far behind with his team. A helicopter had been called in, not because Sam's injuries were especially perilous, but because strings were pulled on the part of his father. The thunderous sounds of Life Flight's propellers lifted dust and small rocks into the air, embedding themselves into Brennan and Booth's cheeks as they ran with the suited technicians to the open doors of the helicopter. Neither of them were allowed into the helicopter, as it was at its maximum weight capacity. The technicians paused for a moment to say their good-byes before taking off. Temperance leaned over and kissed her baby boy's lips. He was resting calmly and peacefully. Seeley was next. He stepped up beside Brennan, his left hand on the small of her back, and lifted his other hand and swirled Sam's sandy blond locks on his forehead. He leaned forward and kissed him. He whispered something inaudible that Bones could not hear over the sound of the helicopter's blades just inches over their heads. They stood back and watched as Samuel's little body, in a sea of white sheets, was lifted into the helicopter. The doors were shut and then the whole contraption lifted into the sky, uneasily at first, then it stabilized and took off. The parents listened, paralyzed and quiet, until their ears could no longer detect the _WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH_ of the blades.

Brennan looked into Booth's eyes. He was glad to see a weight lifted from her shoulders. "Let's go." She smiled. She almost felt like laughing, as mad as it sounds. Booth reflected that same look back at her. The tension on his face softened, and he was at last able to laugh with relief.


	25. Chapter 25: Almost Jovial

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Chapter 25

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Temperance and Seeley walked quickly to the SUV. It seemed like their feet moved with a weightlessness that was not there in the past few days. They settled silently into the SUV, neither wanting to talk. Each of them knowing their son was safe and in the arms of medical professionals.

Bones felt her cell phone buzz on her hip. She fished it out and lifted it to her ear. "Brennan," she replied.

"Temperance?" Cam was still just getting used to the first name thing. Although Bones had insisted it wasn't necessary if she felt uncomfortable with it. She had just as much difficulty with the living as Brennan had most days.

"Cam? Are you OK?" She heard the strain in her voice.

"Angela was in labor."

"She's not even full term yet."

"A week short."

"Is she alright? Has Gabrielle arrived yet?"

"No, but she has given birth."

"What?" Temperance scrunched her forehead. She wasn't very good with metaphor, it was true, but even this seemed like a completely different language to her.

"Listen, I've got to go. I just wanted to let you know that everyone is OK. I'll let Angela tell you everything."

"Thank you, Cam." Brennan heard the phone click. Although Cam's voice seemed almost jovial, she worried that something had gone wrong. It seemed like it was a week of things gone wrong and she couldn't help but to be concerned.

"Everything OK, honey?" Booth asked.

"Yeah. I think so. Angela just gave birth." She suddenly felt as if she missed something very huge. She had wanted to be in the delivery room with Ange. She tried not to worry about Angela or Gabrielle. Instead she turned her head towards the horizon and watched the trees rise and fall before her in the glare of the headlights. She felt a familiar warmth and pressure on her left hand. Booth. There again for her.

"It'll be OK, Bones. Trust me." He winked in her direction.

"I know." She forced a smile to her lips.


	26. Chapter 26: Blessed Beyond Reason

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Chapter 26

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It wasn't until around three in the morning when the two finally pulled into a parking space at Georgetown University Hospital. Both of their bodies badly wanted to fall into warm beds, but adrenaline kept their limbs moving as they trekked through the parking lot and into the red brick building's main doors.

A woman with fuzzy white hair greeted them at the information desk and pointed them to the third floor: Pediatrics. They rode silently through the elevator, hand in hand. The elevator stopped with a jolt and the doors opened, revealing halls that had been decorated with colorful handprints. Anxiety brushed over both of them, although they both tried their hardest to push the feeling away. Room 306 was Samuel's room. The lights were turned on low so that he could rest. The only sound between the four walls was the beeping of a heart monitor.

A middle aged doctor with brown hair and a high hairline was leaning over Samuel checking his respiratory sounds and looked up when he felt their presence. He stood and walked over to them. In a low voice, he spoke, "I'm Dr. Delaney. Don't let the wires and machines scare you. He's doing really well. He's dehydrated and has a few minor wounds, but other than that, he's doing just fine. He does have a severe diaper rash, however. He's not wearing a diaper right now so that the air can get to it. He's laying on an absorbent mat which we're checking regularly. He is on some pain relievers... nothing major... just to help him rest. Other than that... you two are very blessed." He shrugged and then found his way out of the room.

"Yeah, we are, Bones." Booth whispered.

"He looks so helpless..." Booth, who had his hand intertwined with Temperance's, could feel her trembling as she looked on her son. Tears caught the lights of the monitors and glistened as they streaked down her nose.

"Tempe," He hardly ever used that nickname. He turned and pulled her into a hug, her cheek resting on his collar bone. "It's going to be OK. We have Sammy back. We're blessed beyond reason. He's here. He's alive."

"It's just so hard seeing him with all of those monitors attached to him."

"Shh... I know, I know..." He soothed as he rubbed her back. Temperance shook her head mutely, amazed once again at how comforting his arms and scent were to her.

A knock drew both of their heads in the direction of the door...


	27. Chapter 27: Proud Dad

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Chapter 27

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The door was ajar for several seconds before a man, who stood about five foot seven, with curly blondish hair entered the room.

"Hodgins!" Booth said. They were both surprised to see him there. Temperance had forgotten about Angela in the past several minutes.

"How's Ange?" She asked.

Jack's sober expression quickly faded into a huge grin. "She's fine."

"I didn't know that Angela was supposed to deliver here."

"This one was closest, so we just came here." He shrugged. "Angie wanted me to find you. I found out you guys were here. I'd say it was a conspiracy, but..."

"Yeah, I pulled a few strings." Booth shrugged.

"I knew it, man!" Jack laughed.

"How's Gabrielle?" Brennan asked.

"There's no Gabrielle."

"What?" She could feel hear heart screeching to a halt.

"There's a Gabriel, though."

"What?" Temperance could feel her eyes bugging out of her head.

"What? Congratulations, Hodgins!" Booth pulled the man into a hug. He released him and then patted on his back several times.

"Tempie has a brother!" Hodgins put his hands on his hips and shook his head, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "Apparently what the sonographer thought was an umbilical cord _was not_ an umbilical cord. That's my boy!" The group laughed lightly, then Jack's eyes caught the boy in the bed. "Oh, hey, how's Sam?"

"Uh," Temperance swallowed hard before speaking, "He's dehydrated, has minor contusions, and a severe case of diaper rash, but other than that, he's fine."

"That's awesome! I'm so glad. Hey, do you wanna see Gabe?"

"Sure." Temperance took several steps, then looked back at Samuel. "Wait, I, uh--"

"Bones, don't worry about it. I'll stay here with Sam. You go see the new baby." Booth winked at her. She smiled and followed Hodgins through the door and into the NICU.


	28. Chapter 28: A Maternal Smile

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Chapter 28

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The NICU was a sterile, white wing of the hospital, with the exception of pink and blue balloons that parents had brought in for their children that speckled the walls with blotches of unexpected color. Temperance followed Hodgins through the doors and into a smaller room where they scrubbed their hands with a foamy orangish-brown soap. They donned blue disposable outfits, booties, and puffy blue hospital caps to keep their hair in. Bones could feel Hodgins' excitement as he quickly outfitted and then led her into the NICU's inner rooms. Immediately, Brennan spotted familiar faces. Angela was sitting in a chair and holding a tiny infant with a blue hat, bundled in a mass of greenish cotton. Sweets stood nervously nearby, bending over her shoulder and talking baby talk to Gabriel.

Sweets looked up and saw Temperance. His smile disappeared and he grew serious as he approached her. "Dr. Brennan, how's Samuel?"

"He's healthy and alive. More than I could ask for in a million years." Temperance smiled softly.

"Awesome." He sighed and in the process his eyes seemed to shift to the back of his head. "I'm happy to hear it."

Brennan continued past Sweets and to her friend. Angela smiled. "Hi, sweetie." She then looked down and smiled a motherly smile. "Auntie Bren is here to see you."

"Oh, Ange, he's adorable!"

"Do you want to hold him?"

Bren managed to nod. Angela lifted the little boy a little in the air and Brennan scooped him into her arms. She looked down at the little boy. His dark lashes fanned over his cheeks as he slept quietly. Temperance felt a flood of emotion wash over her. It had been so long since Samuel was this age. It seemed that Sammy was the smallest person she knew, but holding Gabriel in the crook of her elbow only emphasized the fact that Sammy was quickly becoming a little boy. She shifted her eyes up to look at Hodgins, who was now holding Tempie, a curly haired little brunette with a button nose and big light brown eyes.

Hodgins moved his lips closer to Angela and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Mrs. Hodgins." He smiled. He often called her Mrs. Hodgins knowing it annoyed her, but it was more of a pet name.

Angela laughed and tilted her chin in his direction. "And I love you, Dr. Hodgins."

As Temperance held Gabe, she took in the domestic scene as one sips wine: slowly drinking it all in. Despite her desire to remain impartial, she felt an indescribable feeling of sadness.

She handed Gabriel over to his mother. "He's beautiful, Ange." She spoke softly. She leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I've got to go check on Samuel." That was her excuse.

"How is he?" Angela asked.

"He's well, Ange. Just take care of your little boy. I'll see you tomorrow." Temperance smiled weakly before she quickly made her way out of the hospital room and back to room 306.


	29. Chapter 29: Doctor Mrs Booth

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Chapter 29

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Temperance turned the handle slowly and walked quietly into the room. Booth didn't notice her at first. She watched him in silence. He was sitting near the bed, his chest leaning against it. His fingers swirled Samuel's hair gently and he spoke in a low tone.

"We're so happy to have you back, Sammy. Mommy and Daddy really missed you. We love you so much. You know, I don't know if your mom would have recovered if we never got you back. I don't know what I'd do if I'd lost you both."

Temperance reached back and opened and closed the door again so Booth knew she was there. He looked up and smiled. "Hey, Bones." _What is that look on her face?_ She walked beside the bed and sat in a chair beside Seeley. She intertwined her fingers with his. He lifted her hand and pressed her soft fingers to his lips. That look still remained in her eyes. "What?" He asked softly, the corner of his lip pulled into a half smile.

"I..." She took in a shaky breath. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He never heard that too often.

"No... I, uh--" She looked down and then up again. "I love you, Seeley Booth."

Booth didn't reply. He knew that she was trying to say something important.

"You..." She blinked away a tear. "You've always been here for me. And now you're here for _us_. I'm sorry..."

Booth squeezed her hand. "Why are you sorry?"

"I owe you an apology. I've always been afraid of getting too close, you know?" She spoke softly and thoughtfully. "I've pushed you away and drawn you close over and over. You should hate me." She laughed humorlessly when she spoke that last sentence.

Booth was quick to raise her chin with his finger. "I'd never hate you, Temperance. I love you. I always have. And don't you forget it."

"I shouldn't be afraid to draw close to you. You've never failed me. You're my family, Booth."

"Always will be..."

"You and Samuel and me. We're a family... What I'm trying to say is, this experience with Samuel being taken away from us... I realize he was taken from _us_, not _me_. He's ours and you're mine and I'm yours and..."

Booth looked into her eyes in that mesmerizing way that he often does, "What are you saying, Bones?"

"I'm saying... will you marry me? I know this isn't the way you wanted--I'm just--"

"Bones," He slowed her rambling. "Of course I'll marry you. But I thought you thought was just a piece of paper?"

"It's more than that. It tells the world that you and I belong together... more importantly, it tells the world that we're a family. The three of us. We're a family. We're Booths." She couldn't help but to smile with that.

Seeley pulled her close and kissed her. Then he looked back and smiled in his usual teasing manner, "I love you, Mrs. Booth."

"That's _Doctor_ Mrs. Booth to you."


	30. Epilogue: Another Kidnapping

The Three of Us

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Chapter 30: Epilogue

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Six months later, Dr. Brennan was leaning over a set of remains as she usually did. This time around, you might say she was a _tad_ over dressed for the job. Her hair was pulled into a dramatic updo and peeping beneath her blue-gray lab jacket were yards upon yards of white chiffon fabric.

"Bones!" Booth walked up onto the platform, sliding his card through.

Without looking up, she replied, "You're not supposed to see the bride before the ceremony... for some reason it's bad luck. Never understood that, though." She squinted at a scapula.

Booth knew he'd find her at the lab. He quickly disrobed her and then lifted her over his shoulder and carried her off from the platform.

"_Booth!_ You couldn't wait until I was done?"

"You couldn't wait until the wedding was over?"

"No. I couldn't. Our flight leaves almost immediately after the reception. I wanted to finish--"

"Bones, _seriously_. I didn't think I'd have to kidnap you for our own wedding."

"Where's Sammy?" She asked as they walked through the west wing of the Jeffersonian. Eyes turned at the strange sight, a man in a white tuxedo carrying a bride over his shoulder. That must be Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan. They were used to strange things happening when _they_ were around.

"Angela has the boys and Tempie. The decorations have been strung. The flowers and cake have arrived. Parker's ready. Hodgins is ready. Everything's _all ready_. Except for one thing."

"What's that?" She asked as Booth opened the door of the SUV and set her inside.

"The bride." Booth smiled as he pulled the seat belt around her and locked it into place.

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Please tell me what you think!

--Mama


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